Dragons
Dragons rose to sentience 1 million years ago, alongside the Nospheratu. For hundreds of thousands of years, they co-existed peacefully. Dragons were masters of the elements, having met regularly with the Elementals that far out-lived them, who would come to teach them all they could about the ley lines of the world and how one could tap into them to manipulate the very aspects of the world to one's own will. History Dragons have a long and detailed history, starting with their initial evolution into the beings they once were. They played a major role in the events that led up to what Kharaak is today. The Birth of Dragons Long ago, the Elementals orchestrated an event called the Sundering in order to banish Demons from the world. As a result, the continent of Kharaak was formed where the ley lines of the world all met. Life began to flourish on the new continent as magic seeped into all forms of life. As the energies of the world flowed into the creatures of Kharaak, several species began to evolve. One such species, a reptilian creature with large, leathery wings and scaly flesh, slowly evolved into a beast with scales harder than most metals and that would tower over any other creature. As time passed, this creature began to develop a sense of reason and awareness of its potential. The creature would come to develop a language through which it could communicate with other members of its species, calling itself Dräkos (Dragon in the common tongue of today). After a mere century, the species would stand strong at a population of about 700. Elemental Attunement At the pinnacle of the Dragons' evolution, they encountered the Elementals, of which there existed only eight. The Elementals came bearing knowledge of the magic of the world. It was soon found that Dragons had a natural aptitude for the elements. The Elementals taught the Dragons how to manipulate flame, water, earth, wind, lightning, shadows, light, and chaos. At first, only the most elder of the Dragons, Great Wyrms, were taught. The Great Wyrms only had the capacity to learn the manipulation of one element, however, and would become permanently attuned to it. After the Great Wyrms had become attuned, they would begin to attune their lesser brethren, giving them free choice over what element they wished for. As time progressed, Dragons of one element would mingle with others, sometimes bearing a prodigal hatchling with dual attunement. Upon completion of the attunement, Dragons scales would change color to represent the element of their attunement. They also found that their searing breath was now infused with their attuned element. The War For 923,000 years, Dragons lived peacefully with the other races that had evolved on Kharaak, but in that year, Nospheratu grew restless, watching the younger races from afar and fearing they would destroy themselves. The Nospheratu approached the Dragons, hoping to rally them to the cause of governing the Elves and Dwarves so that peace may ensue. Dragons politely declined, not seeing any cause for worry. Nospheratu, having been slowly tainted by demonic energies, had become paranoid and power hungry over the millennia and took the Dragons' declination of an allied government over the younger races as insult. The Nospheratu grew angry, their paranoia feeding thoughts that Dragons believed themselves to be better than them. Tensions grew unbearably high between Dragons and Nospheratu, eventually leading to the Nospheratu declaring war on the Dragons. Nospheratu sent soldiers at the Dragons like an endless barrage of cannon fire, easily replacing their lost forces each day. Slowly, the Dragons began to dwindle, not being able to replenish their numbers as quickly as the Nospheratu. The war waged for two millennia. The Spell of Birth and Knowledge As the end of the war neared, eight Great Wyrms banded together at the Dragons' innermost sanctum of Dräkos Môrd, or Dragons' Tier, to weave a spell of great magnitude. Into the spell, they poured all their knowledge and magic. For two centuries, they chanted the words, weaving new threads of magic into the ley lines of the world. As the Nospheratu broke through the final defenses, the Dragons finished the spell. The Nospheratu burst into the chamber, thrashing their blades, violently assaulting the Dragons. As their blood spilled into the spell, the room ignites in searing light. The air quakes with energy as an explosion decimates the battlefield of Dräkos Môrd, disintegrating Nospheratu for miles. When the dust of the explosion fades, there lies eight beings, resembling Elves. The Drakon are born. Culture Dragons were a very calm species, almost shamanistic in their views of the world. They believed in the elements and that there existed a natural order to things. They also believed other species should be allowed to flourish on their own without guidance. Society and Architecture Dragons had one major city, Dräkos Môrd, now inhabited by their descendants, the Drakon. Being large and bulky beings, their buildings required grandiose archways and were usually upwards of 50 yards tall. The created their buildings from marble, obsidian, granite, and other dense stone materials, gold and silver inlays decorating the edges. Their society was built loosely on the ideals of a hierarchy, the Great Wyrms standing at the top, counseling others in fairness and the order of nature. While their society was structured so, all Dragons were respected and treated as family, regardless of attunement. Religion Dragons believed in a natural order and the elements. During the war with the Nospheratu, Dragons came to view them as a perversion against nature due to the demonic taint that plagued them. Reproduction Like all reptilian creatures, Dragons reproduced through sexual means, followed by the laying of eggs. For Dragons, however, an egg could incubate for centuries, or even millennia before hatching, which was part of their downfall. (Work in progress)